@@FlytPath I will add to that with a thank you also. This is really a tremendous amount of work that you do for people and I trust your judgement on these drones for sure.
A lot of truth in this comment.. Stop watching videos with quality comparisons on a 6 inch or smaller screen. Get a PC with a monitor to get a good view of the differences. The difference in the shots is more than evident, surprising in some cases.
Watching this on my 43' 4k HDR calibrated display. I don't see any significant difference between 3 and 3s. Yes the saturation and contrast is different. But it has nothing to do with the sensor, it's just color grading. And I watched frame by frame comparing slightest details. In theory ist should be better (maybe only in lowlight), but practically it's not. Maybe it's the YT compression, who knows. Features/tech upgrade is nice, no questions. But I hoped the cam quality would be more significant to the OG 3. Maybe it's better in photo and original file. But for web, the compression will destroy every single detail advantage. And this is the time, when the Air 3 goes for 750-800€ new over the counter
I'm watching on an iPad Air and I can see enough of a difference to see the Air 3S has far superior image quality. I know what my Mini 4 is capable of, and I also understand exactly how image compression works, its effects on specific details, contrast, and artifacts, to know the Air 3S is so good, it is why they had to reduce the bit rate of the video from 150 Mb/sec to 130 Mb/sec! If they left it at 150 Mb/sec it would out-shine the Mavic.
You cannot judge the quality/bitrate based on a highly compressed youtube video, with not even a third of the original bitrate. Look up the serious camera reviews. Almost every photographer aggrees, that the only difference you will see is when it's dark. Other then that, It's impossible to hold them apart, besides a slightly different default color/contrast profile. Which is also the reason why people think it's looking better.
Same....I enjoy my Air 3 enough. I'll wait for Air 4s LOL. Or another drone that's better than Air 3 and released sooner since Air 2s was release 3 years ago.
Good presentation as always.This would benefit someone who’s upgrading from a mini 3 / mini 3 pro. Can’t wait to see you review a Mavic 4 when the time comes.👍
Happy with the Mavic 3 Pro/ mini 4 Pro.. now i can say I’m not missing anything important on the Air3s.. been a drone pilot since the dji naza diy day’s and i rarely use obstacle avoidance, always turn it off when i fly..Air3s is not a giant leap to justify adding it to my fleet..thanks for another awesome comparison video👍🫡
Ditto. I adore my Mavic 3 Pro's and larger sensor size always dwarfs lame 1" sensor. My Sony point and shoot has a 1" sensor that I got 5 years ago cmon now. 😂
Currently have an Air2 and kicked myself for getting that drone weeks before the Air2S was released. Think I'll make the upgrade to the Air3S on this one though. Lots of great features over my Air2
I’ve got the mini 3 pro. I’ve been wanting to upgrade and this is the one I think. Fits the bill quite well. Hopefully my wife won’t notice the difference.
I love technology and since we don't get such interesting upgrades from the phone space anymore, it's nice to see this refresh with the 3S. If you can't see a difference, you aren't pushing the drone to what its capable of and so it doesn't matter what improvements exist if you can't harness them. I've had the Air 3 and it's absolutely worth the upgrade imho.
Big upgrade! Still very clear that it doesn’t quite pick up the detail level of the Mavic 3 main sensor, however looks like that 70mm lens may be improved over the Mavic’s 70mm. The newer features, controller technology etc make it hard to stay with my Mavic, but I still want that extra raw data in the image itself. Only a matter of time for Mavic 4 now!
The DJI Air 3S presents an incremental upgrade over the original Air 3.I do not think it is enough for current owners of an Air 3 to upgrade.However if you have an older drone such as an Air 2/2S or Mavic 2 Pro , then the Air 3S would provide a substantial upgrade. The Air 3S provides insight into one of the features that will be available on the upcoming Mavic 4 Pro and that is the LIDAR sensor to improve obstacle detection.Since the Air 3S allows the user to access the fisheye sensors,I hope the upcoming Mavic 4 Pro will allow the user/pilot to access the LIDAR sensor.That would be greatly beneficial for mapping as well as scanning for 3D modelling.
@@FaridRudiansyah The Mavic 3 Pro does not have a LIDAR sensor.The Mavic 3 PRO has visual sensors and that allows it to create a 3D model of its surroundings that are within range of the omnidirectional visual sensors.The black horizontal rectangle between the two front facing visual sensors is the LIFAR sensor.
Thanks Aldryn, great video. I'm still being blown away by my Air 3. It exceeds my expectations on every flight and although the specs of the 3S are an improvement I doubt that I'd even notice a worthwhile improvement in my final results. I bought the 3 Air when the price had been reduced, it was a good buy and will hopefully serve me for years to come.
Great review as always! The one thing I would like to see compared is the 3x zoom (70mm) lens with digital zoom to get close to or match the 7x zoom camera on the Mavic 3 Pro. Optical zoom is always better than a digital zoom, but the 7x zoom camera on the Mavic 3 Pro is lower quality than the 3x zoom camera. For a focal length I don't use that much, I wonder if it would be possible to get away with the Air 3S's 3x camera digitally zoomed into 5x-7x, thus foregoing the need for a Mavic 3 Pro.
Damn! I was right a year ago! They surely took their time with this! I can't believe they didn't call the Dji Air 3 Pro! Anyway, I got my brand new Epic Mavic 3 FlyMore combo last year for half the price! It changed my whole life! 😍🤩
Thinking about changing my mini 4 PRO for one of this...but... I don't know... I need to look better for regulations differences. I'm a registered drone pilot here in Brazil and also in Europe, but I always flew the minis. Usually I travel to Europe, so I really need to see what the differences are regard regulations first. Good Work!
Thanks for your insight and suggestion on these drones..Some are providing explaination trying to fall on the newer drones but, your explaination still provides info that our older brands are still of value..Thanks !
I don't think it's worth the upgrade from the DJI Air 3 to new Air 3s. The camera of the Air 3 is still great and the LiDAR sensor as well as some additional software upgrades are not making the big difference. I will probably wait for the Air 4 which might offer that 1 inch sensor on both cameras or the new Mavics. 👍
Thanks for the review...Cons: Should be 1" sensor both cameras. Air 2S is 20mp yet this is 12mp and no Aperture Control. Also why is DJI lowering video Bit rates? First the Action 5 now this.. So they give a better camera then take away with the lower bit rate.
Thinking about upgrading from a mini 3 pro. I do roofing befire and after content for contractors. Just want something with better image quality but the mavic 3 pro's price tag was a little intimidating.
Another great overview. Should be a great seller. Glad DJI kept the cost reasonable and included some decent onboard memory. I have the Air 3 and I’m waiting for the Mavic 4.
The 50mp photo looked worse than the 20mp m3 photo… same amount of detail but more artifacts. Also curious if there is a long delay switching between cameras like the m3?
Of all the drones that you mentioned . Which would be best for sharp, low noise photography ? Especially sunsets and landscapes . I don't care about distance or bells and whistles video . Mainly line of site photo shooting.
this would make a no brainer to pick over the air 3. except for the fact that the air has been on discount for a while and (at least where i live you can still pick up the air 3 with the RC2 fly more combo for around $970.
Upgrading from the Mini 3 Pro. Excited for video and photography. Hoping it will do better with photogrammetry as well - when it comes to image quality/wide angle photos. Not ready for Mavic 3E - way too expensive.
Looks alright I guess, but not like a worthwhile upgrade for owners of the Air3, expect if you fly a lot at night and need the LIDAR - which seems like the main upgrade from the Air3 Other than that, videos and photos look very simliar to the Air3, the extra crispyness some people mention looks to me like in-camera digital sharpening, so I'd like to see the difference with sharpening and noise reduction both set to -2. But as far as pure quality goes, I had hoped for more to be honest. Also: - the ISO range in Dlog-M only jumps up by one stop from 1600 max to 3200 max. - The camera still uses a quad-bayer sensor to get up to 50mp shots (which is fine i guess, but is not the same as 50 actual megapixels in something like a sony a1). - No actual d-log - still no continuous Autofocus (which is a real issue with the tele lens and makes me miss A LOT of shots due to poor AF). - Slowmo jumps from 100fps to 120fps - you get a new free-panorama mode, that lets you decide the fov of your pano. All in all nice enough, but I would have loved to see a variable aperture, real d-log and reliable continuous auto focus.
Hi thanks for the video, very helpful and thorough! I’m new to drones and considering the 3S, with the ND filters, I guess that’s necessary as it doesn’t have an aperture adjustment like the Mavic 3 pro has. How much of an issue is this? Do you have to do a test run to check exposure? Thank you!
Aldryn, any word from DJI or other sources why the predicted/leaked beacon wasn’t released. Hopefully it will be at a later date with compatibility with more models.
Just got my Air 3s, major upgrade from my Mini 3. I will be keeping both though, the Mini 3 has way more freedom on where I can fly it and also if I'm going hiking I'd much rather carry the lighter drone with me.
The Air 3s 1" sensor has an aperture of f1.8 whereas the Air 2s 1" sensor has an aperture of f2.8. That's 1 1/3 stops, almost 3x more light that the Air 3s camera can capture. So it should be much better in low light.
Good comparison - I guess I'll keep my Mini 3 Pro - flying fpv is so much more fun I have no interest in getting and flying a stabilized drone. But those 70 MM shots with their awesome parallax effect get me thinking...
I have all 3 Air 3 , 3S and Mini 4 Pro . I like these 3 as they all have an extra use that none of the others have and that is the use of the 4G Dongle 2 , I use it nearly all the time rock steady connection no matter what , so long as there is cell service in the area you are flying. not unboxed my new 3S yet as I am waiting till the next day to activate it to get the full days protection of the care refresh , no use wasting a a full days cover for the sake of waiting 3 or so hours .
Dude! Great review. I have a magic air 2 and have been waiting to see real time footage that justifies an upgrade. I shoot cinematic movement and the spotlight functions on the 2 are just not enough when you punch in. The sensor should really help. I know it’s a a hot topic but I’m wanting to know if rigging the insta360 4x on a Marut mount could work seeing is the weight is similar to the mavic 3 pro?
love your reviews because of the voice information. I am able to switch pages while I work and still follow along in my airpods. even the DJI official video had no narration or speaker so I just skipped over it.
You are great man, Straight comparing all the similar drones and the amount of work that takes I salute you. I appreciate you for this, this helps a lot. Just subscribed to you
@@droneviewgis6699 mentioned that in my comment above. The Air 3S is achieving 50mp range by using it's tried and true quad bear technology. (Splitting the 12mp into 4 quadrants, thereby increasing the pixel count). Still keeping my Air 2S (and the 12 batteries I've had to buy to keep it going since it came out)
I bought my Air-3 back in July, but didn't open the box until recently because I wanted to wait until I passed my Part 107. Since I passed my 107, I have opened the box and have flown it twice. First time I spent about an hour at the park flying it and today I flew for the second time in my backyard. My dogs did not like it, so after about 15 minutes I stopped and will go fly it at the park tomorrow. If I had to do it again I would have waited until after I passed my 107 to purchase my drone and would have gone with the 3S.
Man you just can’t beat a 1” sensor. Thank you for your work, do you think the mini 5 Pro will have the 1” sensor as well? The next stage for drones is 360 Lidar & 1” sensors on every camera be it the 3x & 5x.
This looks like the most advanced consumer drone DJI has ever released. But it might not be worth upgrading if you have the Air 3. Great review Aldryn, thanks for sharing.
Well I didn't go for the Mini 4 Pro since I already have the Mini 3 Pro for light packing. Heck I haven't flown the Air 3 much but what the heck there's enough new features to get the 3S. It's nice to know it uses the same battery as the Air 3 so maybe I'll just get the basic package.
I didn't get the Air 3 when it came out a year ago. I knew DJI would come through with at least a 1" sensor for the S model. However, and I hate to nit-pik, the 1" sensor is not in the same ballpark as the Air 2S. (Yep. Said it). Photos: Air 3S: either 12mp or 50 mp. Which tells me DJI is using quad bayer technology on the 3S 1" sensor to get into the 50mp range. Also, top end resolution (video) is 4k. It's 5.4 on the Air 2S. Nit-piking, I know, but 5.4k allows for some really good zooming in post. Air 3S 4k/120fps is impressive, though. The increased ISO range on the Air 3S is also impressive as I like to fly in low light pretty often. Between the increased flight time (2x over the Air 2S) and the versatility of the dual camera system on the Air 3S, I am probably going to get it. Eventually. Maybe. Once again, a great, no-nonsense review Aldryn. Well done.
Great video! You really go all the way to show the true stuff. I just had a roof put on my house so in just a bit I wanna buy me a drone. I think the one I want is the Air 3S. I've never bought a drone before so I'll be a newbie but I'm happy to give it a try. I like riding my bicycle around and I'd like it to be able to follow me. Or just go for a walk and have it track me then. Do you think it can do that? Of course it has to be able to avoid obstacles on it's own. When I buy it I wanna buy it from you, and I want the DGI RC 2 + Flymore Combo. I want the controller with the built in screen. Let me know when it's available and I'll get it.
I agree, but I want a 3 camera setup for the Pocket series. I feel DJI would be making a mistake not to do so at this point considering all phone cameras are going to 3-camera systems. Heck, the entry-level phones have a 2-camera set up. Time to stop playing..
So where does the Mavic series come in? What will the Mavic bring to the table that blows the 3S away? Seems like every year the tech is getting better and there is no need for certain models.
I am still pretty happy with my trusted old M2P. I don't think any of those new drones (except the M3) is better than it. I don't really see any reason to upgrade now
Hey, traveling tiv here! Love your videos. Question: Do you still need to obtain a license/certification for this weight class? I know you dont have to for 249g class. Thanks
Świetna robota Aldryn. Tak przypuszczałem , że będzie zastosowana 1 calowa matryca i to czyni z niego Predatora. Obecnie posiadam Air2S z którego jestem bardzo zadowolony i dwa miesiące temu zakupiłem Air3 oba pokochałem od pierwszego ujrzenia . Kto wie może niebawem Air3S dołączy do mojej floty !?! Pozdrawiam serdecznie z Polski.
@@jeremyboyce1537 Yes, I'm serious. I now remember I placed it in the closet because I had to travel for work to help on a contract job the next day. It was supposed to last a few months, ended up lasting a few years.
Hi, Thank you for your much valued review. Air 3, 3s question... If using Night mode, during civil twilight, would low light performance be improved, or de-noised?
The Mavic 3 Pro with it's MUCH larger sensor takes WAY better photos. Even though it's less then half the resolution of the Air 3S,...it's individual pixels are way,..WAY,...WAAAY larger and much higher quality. I think that 50mp is way dense and small for a 1 inch-type chip. I think 24-26mp would be the sweet spot for this sensor size. The Air 2S with it's 20mp 1 inch-type chip looked great and it shot video in 5.4k. Air 2S video frame size is 5472×3078. That's 16.8 megapixels at 30fps. The Air 3S is only HALF that video resolution at 3840x2160 at 8.3mp. Yes, the Air 2S shoots video at DOUBLE the 4k resolution of the Air 3S.
my Mavic 3 got stolen upon landing, thinking about getting the Air 3s as a replacement. Although I might wait a bit, still very depressed because of what happened.
Oh, that parallax at 70mm is so tantalizing! But, I'm going to stick with my mini 4 pro and wait for it to get the lidar and night sensors in a future version. Great video as always!
Can it DUAL RECORD on Both the Lenses? That would be a sick upgrade... This Drone is not much of an upgrade over the Original Air 3 TBH. Mostly some fine adjustments.
I just bought the air 3 last week during the 2 day sale..ill fly it with my integra goggles. I'm curious to see what goggles the s will eventually be compatible with.
Your channel gives us the most valuable and expert information that is important to people like me. It helps me make the best decisions in this expensive hobby. I see that this drone works with the RC 2 remote, but I have an RC Pro remote. Will this work with my RC Pro?
I'm sure I'm not alone in hoping to see an Air 2S / Air 3S comparison with video and photos. All the extra features are great on the Air 3S but I'm still not sure it's worth the upgrade. I'm one of those who waited for the 1" sensor in the 3S. It's probably worth the upgrade just for the 45 min flight time but I'd still like to see the image quality difference if any. It feels like we have reached a point to where any improvements are going to be incrementally small. Good review! Thanks!
You're not alone. I feel the same about all of it. I'm also a little dubious that something is up with this drone because the price point came in so low compared to the Air3. I expected it to be 2k for the fly more combo. How did they come in at 1500? I paid 1400 for my Air2S nearly 6 years ago. This is only 100 more? I like a good deal but this seems too good to be true. And as a rule I don't trust anything that feels too good to be true. 🙏
@@jimig399 Watch Xavier Arthur's video he just published and it will all become clear. You're right. A lot of trade-offs happened. Obviously the A3s is a great drone but it's not as great as hoped. I'm thinking more about getting a Mavic 3 Classic for less cost but a better camera and other features. The 3 Pro would be even better. In the USA it's not an issue with the weight like it is in other countries.
@@underthedrone2735 yes I have considered this drone. Their camera systems are possibly superior to DJI but this is subjective. I don't know much else about them. Do you own one?
Thanks for the detailed reviews! Would it be possible to upload the photo comparisons between the mini, air 3, mavic and 3s? I wanted to pixel peep at the quality, (planning to buy a drone for photogrammetry, and looking for max detail/quality) And from the video, the images both look good, but zooming in might tell a different story ( which is important for photogrammetry) I’ve found in the past some companies abuse the mega pixel marketing with high numbers but horrible image detail quality, or secretly do binning or fake upscale. That nowadays all I can do is look at the actual pixels unfortunately.
Great video as usual. Would have been nice if you had thrown the Air2S in there. I've been waiting for this upgrade since I bought my Mini2 5 years. I'll probably pull the trigger on this. I'm overdue for a new toy. The price is right. How did that get the price down so low with this drone? I expected it to retail closer to 2k for the fly more which seems the market would accept. They left some money on the table here i think. But why? Makes me suspicious.
Good evening. First off, thank you for informative videos, I'm looking into getting my first drone. I want to use it for my RUclips videos and possibly trying to find work with drones when I retire. my question is should I buy a mini 4 pro or spend the extra for a air 3s. I'm planning on getting my 107 as well. Second question has to do with weight. besides registration, is there a downside to having a heavier drone. Will it restrict me from flying in certain scenarios. Thank you for your time.
I have the original Mavic Mini and was thinking on getting the Mini 4 Pro but I might just get the Air 3S. I do like how small the Minis are though and was hoping the Mini 5 would get released. I just don’t think the Mini 5 will have more than the Air 3S
Can you imagine how hard is to make this video ? Dedication , Editing , Filming , Coloring ...
Dude you've never failed to impress me .
@@moustafachbaro920 🙏🙏🙏
@@FlytPath I will add to that with a thank you also. This is really a tremendous amount of work that you do for people and I trust your judgement on these drones for sure.
@@dcjellythank u
Little do most people know... that his young son edited everything. ;)
@@sambochen2010damn! Never knew this!🤌🏼
That's a pretty good upgrade in video quality to my eyes. To those commenting that they can't see much difference, quit watching on your phone!
A lot of truth in this comment.. Stop watching videos with quality comparisons on a 6 inch or smaller screen. Get a PC with a monitor to get a good view of the differences. The difference in the shots is more than evident, surprising in some cases.
Watching this on my 43' 4k HDR calibrated display. I don't see any significant difference between 3 and 3s. Yes the saturation and contrast is different. But it has nothing to do with the sensor, it's just color grading. And I watched frame by frame comparing slightest details. In theory ist should be better (maybe only in lowlight), but practically it's not. Maybe it's the YT compression, who knows. Features/tech upgrade is nice, no questions. But I hoped the cam quality would be more significant to the OG 3. Maybe it's better in photo and original file. But for web, the compression will destroy every single detail advantage. And this is the time, when the Air 3 goes for 750-800€ new over the counter
I'm watching on an iPad Air and I can see enough of a difference to see the Air 3S has far superior image quality.
I know what my Mini 4 is capable of, and I also understand exactly how image compression works, its effects on specific details, contrast, and artifacts, to know the Air 3S is so good, it is why they had to reduce the bit rate of the video from 150 Mb/sec to 130 Mb/sec! If they left it at 150 Mb/sec it would out-shine the Mavic.
You are right. There is a difference.
You cannot judge the quality/bitrate based on a highly compressed youtube video, with not even a third of the original bitrate. Look up the serious camera reviews. Almost every photographer aggrees, that the only difference you will see is when it's dark. Other then that, It's impossible to hold them apart, besides a slightly different default color/contrast profile. Which is also the reason why people think it's looking better.
Definitely sticking with my Air 3. Just not enough there to make me upgrade.
Same. It’s just not worth it anymore to upgrade with every iteration.
Same....I enjoy my Air 3 enough. I'll wait for Air 4s LOL. Or another drone that's better than Air 3 and released sooner since Air 2s was release 3 years ago.
Upgrading from my air 2 and I’m so stoked
Every time Dji releases a product this is the first channel I go to.😀
@@tonyshouz 🙏🙏
Me too!
Agreed, this is the best drone channel
@@tonyshouz always wait for this channel before deciding to get a drone or action cam 👍
TRUE THAT!
Just ordered mine this morning, shipping today already from DJI. Very nice upgrade thanks for the video!
Thanks for the video. I'm sticking with the Air 3 for now. Not enough of an upgrade. Really wanted adjustable aperture as well.
will be waiting for the mavic 4 or the air 4
Don’t hold your breath. I think DJI will reserve that feature for the Mavic series.
@@RJ2A81Yeh! You're probably right.
Bought the Air 3 two weeks ago. Already started the return to swap to this one!
keep both, fly both at the same time
@@Ukcanary Too rich for my blood
Same here, bought the Air 3 one week ago but flew it once. Can I still get full refund?
@@larryli735 depends on who you bought it through. I went through Amazon and their return policy is very lenient
I’m keeping my Air3. Not much of an upgrade. Waiting for the Mavic 4.
Good presentation as always.This would benefit someone who’s upgrading from a mini 3 / mini 3 pro. Can’t wait to see you review a Mavic 4 when the time comes.👍
Happy with the Mavic 3 Pro/ mini 4 Pro.. now i can say I’m not missing anything important on the Air3s.. been a drone pilot since the dji naza diy day’s and i rarely use obstacle avoidance, always turn it off when i fly..Air3s is not a giant leap to justify adding it to my fleet..thanks for another awesome comparison video👍🫡
Ditto. I adore my Mavic 3 Pro's and larger sensor size always dwarfs lame 1" sensor. My Sony point and shoot has a 1" sensor that I got 5 years ago cmon now. 😂
@@AtortAerials does your Sony fly?
@@XploreAz if I owned an Air Peak it would. 😁
Gonna need that comparison to the Mavic 3 classic now! Especially for low light
You are the fastest to get the DJI Air 3S video in detail with real product! Great work
Currently have an Air2 and kicked myself for getting that drone weeks before the Air2S was released. Think I'll make the upgrade to the Air3S on this one though. Lots of great features over my Air2
I’ve got the mini 3 pro. I’ve been wanting to upgrade and this is the one I think. Fits the bill quite well. Hopefully my wife won’t notice the difference.
I love technology and since we don't get such interesting upgrades from the phone space anymore, it's nice to see this refresh with the 3S. If you can't see a difference, you aren't pushing the drone to what its capable of and so it doesn't matter what improvements exist if you can't harness them. I've had the Air 3 and it's absolutely worth the upgrade imho.
Big upgrade! Still very clear that it doesn’t quite pick up the detail level of the Mavic 3 main sensor, however looks like that 70mm lens may be improved over the Mavic’s 70mm. The newer features, controller technology etc make it hard to stay with my Mavic, but I still want that extra raw data in the image itself.
Only a matter of time for Mavic 4 now!
Why is the mini quality so good? It’s crazy!
The DJI Air 3S presents an incremental upgrade over the original Air 3.I do not think it is enough for current owners of an Air 3 to upgrade.However if you have an older drone such as an Air 2/2S or Mavic 2 Pro , then the Air 3S would provide a substantial upgrade. The Air 3S provides insight into one of the features that will be available on the upcoming Mavic 4 Pro and that is the LIDAR sensor to improve obstacle detection.Since the Air 3S allows the user to access the fisheye sensors,I hope the upcoming Mavic 4 Pro will allow the user/pilot to access the LIDAR sensor.That would be greatly beneficial for mapping as well as scanning for 3D modelling.
Doesn't Mavic 3 pro have its own LIDAR version?
@@FaridRudiansyah The Mavic 3 Pro does not have a LIDAR sensor.The Mavic 3 PRO has visual sensors and that allows it to create a 3D model of its surroundings that are within range of the omnidirectional visual sensors.The black horizontal rectangle between the two front facing visual sensors is the LIFAR sensor.
Thanks Aldryn, great video. I'm still being blown away by my Air 3. It exceeds my expectations on every flight and although the specs of the 3S are an improvement I doubt that I'd even notice a worthwhile improvement in my final results. I bought the 3 Air when the price had been reduced, it was a good buy and will hopefully serve me for years to come.
Great review as always! The one thing I would like to see compared is the 3x zoom (70mm) lens with digital zoom to get close to or match the 7x zoom camera on the Mavic 3 Pro. Optical zoom is always better than a digital zoom, but the 7x zoom camera on the Mavic 3 Pro is lower quality than the 3x zoom camera. For a focal length I don't use that much, I wonder if it would be possible to get away with the Air 3S's 3x camera digitally zoomed into 5x-7x, thus foregoing the need for a Mavic 3 Pro.
Love my Air 3 and this Air 3s isn’t that much of an upgrade at all when you look at the info on DJI’s web site and compare both side by side.
Damn! I was right a year ago! They surely took their time with this! I can't believe they didn't call the Dji Air 3 Pro! Anyway, I got my brand new Epic Mavic 3 FlyMore combo last year for half the price! It changed my whole life! 😍🤩
Thinking about changing my mini 4 PRO for one of this...but... I don't know... I need to look better for regulations differences. I'm a registered drone pilot here in Brazil and also in Europe, but I always flew the minis. Usually I travel to Europe, so I really need to see what the differences are regard regulations first. Good Work!
Thanks for your insight and suggestion on these drones..Some are providing explaination trying to fall on the newer drones but, your explaination still provides info that our older brands are still of value..Thanks !
Just placed my order for the air 3s, been using the air 2s for over 3 years and I loved that drone to death, so I’m excited to have this one.
Thanks for sharing! That’s a huge upgrade🎉 from my DJI Mini 3 Pro.
Thank you for taking the time to do all the comparison footage !
I don't think it's worth the upgrade from the DJI Air 3 to new Air 3s. The camera of the Air 3 is still great and the LiDAR sensor as well as some additional software upgrades are not making the big difference. I will probably wait for the Air 4 which might offer that 1 inch sensor on both cameras or the new Mavics. 👍
Just bought the mini 2 SE a month ago just to practice. Now I can happily upgrade to the Air 3s. Will be night and day difference lol
Thanks for the review...Cons: Should be 1" sensor both cameras. Air 2S is 20mp yet this is 12mp and no Aperture Control. Also why is DJI lowering video Bit rates? First the Action 5 now this.. So they give a better camera then take away with the lower bit rate.
Thinking about upgrading from a mini 3 pro. I do roofing befire and after content for contractors. Just want something with better image quality but the mavic 3 pro's price tag was a little intimidating.
Another great overview. Should be a great seller. Glad DJI kept the cost reasonable and included some decent onboard memory. I have the Air 3 and I’m waiting for the Mavic 4.
The 50mp photo looked worse than the 20mp m3 photo… same amount of detail but more artifacts. Also curious if there is a long delay switching between cameras like the m3?
Of all the drones that you mentioned . Which would be best for sharp, low noise photography ? Especially sunsets and landscapes . I don't care about distance or bells and whistles video . Mainly line of site photo shooting.
this would make a no brainer to pick over the air 3.
except for the fact that the air has been on discount for a while and (at least where i live you can still pick up the air 3 with the RC2 fly more combo for around $970.
Upgrading from the Mini 3 Pro. Excited for video and photography. Hoping it will do better with photogrammetry as well - when it comes to image quality/wide angle photos. Not ready for Mavic 3E - way too expensive.
I'm definitely waiting for the Mavic 4 for better camera sensors, and hopefully, they put LIDAR on it.
You are one of my favorite RUclipsrs for tech reviews. Yet another great review. Keep up the good work!
I appreciate you taking the time out to support.
Looks alright I guess, but not like a worthwhile upgrade for owners of the Air3, expect if you fly a lot at night and need the LIDAR - which seems like the main upgrade from the Air3
Other than that, videos and photos look very simliar to the Air3, the extra crispyness some people mention looks to me like in-camera digital sharpening, so I'd like to see the difference with sharpening and noise reduction both set to -2. But as far as pure quality goes, I had hoped for more to be honest.
Also:
- the ISO range in Dlog-M only jumps up by one stop from 1600 max to 3200 max.
- The camera still uses a quad-bayer sensor to get up to 50mp shots (which is fine i guess, but is not the same as 50 actual megapixels in something like a sony a1).
- No actual d-log
- still no continuous Autofocus (which is a real issue with the tele lens and makes me miss A LOT of shots due to poor AF).
- Slowmo jumps from 100fps to 120fps
- you get a new free-panorama mode, that lets you decide the fov of your pano.
All in all nice enough, but I would have loved to see a variable aperture, real d-log and reliable continuous auto focus.
This video is awsome. Shows detailed comparision of specs and videos as well.
Hi thanks for the video, very helpful and thorough! I’m new to drones and considering the 3S, with the ND filters, I guess that’s necessary as it doesn’t have an aperture adjustment like the Mavic 3 pro has. How much of an issue is this? Do you have to do a test run to check exposure? Thank you!
Aldryn, any word from DJI or other sources why the predicted/leaked beacon wasn’t released. Hopefully it will be at a later date with compatibility with more models.
I'm wondering that as well...
This has peaked my interest! Coming from the Air 2, I think I am ready for this upgrade!
Just got my Air 3s, major upgrade from my Mini 3.
I will be keeping both though, the Mini 3 has way more freedom on where I can fly it and also if I'm going hiking I'd much rather carry the lighter drone with me.
How about coming from air 2s? Don't think I will upgrade.
The Air 3s 1" sensor has an aperture of f1.8 whereas the Air 2s 1" sensor has an aperture of f2.8. That's 1 1/3 stops, almost 3x more light that the Air 3s camera can capture. So it should be much better in low light.
Good comparison - I guess I'll keep my Mini 3 Pro - flying fpv is so much more fun I have no interest in getting and flying a stabilized drone. But those 70 MM shots with their awesome parallax effect get me thinking...
3S looks SO crispy compared to the 3 and the mini 4pro, and on par with the mavic 3 pro
WOW the Mini 4 Pro looks amazing for what it is !!!!
Thx, No Upgrade needed. saved some money
I have all 3 Air 3 , 3S and Mini 4 Pro . I like these 3 as they all have an extra use that none of the others have and that is the use of the 4G Dongle 2 , I use it nearly all the time rock steady connection no matter what , so long as there is cell service in the area you are flying. not unboxed my new 3S yet as I am waiting till the next day to activate it to get the full days protection of the care refresh , no use wasting a a full days cover for the sake of waiting 3 or so hours .
Dude! Great review. I have a magic air 2 and have been waiting to see real time footage that justifies an upgrade. I shoot cinematic movement and the spotlight functions on the 2 are just not enough when you punch in. The sensor should really help.
I know it’s a a hot topic but I’m wanting to know if rigging the insta360 4x on a Marut mount could work seeing is the weight is similar to the mavic 3 pro?
love your reviews because of the voice information. I am able to switch pages while I work and still follow along in my airpods. even the DJI official video had no narration or speaker so I just skipped over it.
Wow that’s pretty cool to hear. Thanks
You are great man, Straight comparing all the similar drones and the amount of work that takes I salute you. I appreciate you for this, this helps a lot. Just subscribed to you
appreciate it man. welcome
Ordered this morning. Coming from Air2s. Sounds almost perfect. I shoot more stills than video. Thanks for the comparisons!
I regret selling my Air 2S. Does the absence of the 20 MP photo not bother you? What about the adjustable aperture? I get both with my Autel EVO Lite.
@@droneviewgis6699 mentioned that in my comment above. The Air 3S is achieving 50mp range by using it's tried and true quad bear technology. (Splitting the 12mp into 4 quadrants, thereby increasing the pixel count). Still keeping my Air 2S (and the 12 batteries I've had to buy to keep it going since it came out)
I bought my Air-3 back in July, but didn't open the box until recently because I wanted to wait until I passed my Part 107. Since I passed my 107, I have opened the box and have flown it twice. First time I spent about an hour at the park flying it and today I flew for the second time in my backyard. My dogs did not like it, so after about 15 minutes I stopped and will go fly it at the park tomorrow. If I had to do it again I would have waited until after I passed my 107 to purchase my drone and would have gone with the 3S.
Man you just can’t beat a 1” sensor. Thank you for your work, do you think the mini 5 Pro will have the 1” sensor as well? The next stage for drones is 360 Lidar & 1” sensors on every camera be it the 3x & 5x.
I mean eventually the 1” will make its way down. I just don’t see it happening yet.
I've been following this channel since 2018 😅🎉 mavic pro
@@kavaena-efe3878 🙏🙏
This looks like the most advanced consumer drone DJI has ever released. But it might not be worth upgrading if you have the Air 3. Great review Aldryn, thanks for sharing.
This video was a boatload of work. Thank you.
Well I didn't go for the Mini 4 Pro since I already have the Mini 3 Pro for light packing. Heck I haven't flown the Air 3 much but what the heck there's enough new features to get the 3S. It's nice to know it uses the same battery as the Air 3 so maybe I'll just get the basic package.
I didn't get the Air 3 when it came out a year ago. I knew DJI would come through with at least a 1" sensor for the S model. However, and I hate to nit-pik, the 1" sensor is not in the same ballpark as the Air 2S. (Yep. Said it). Photos: Air 3S: either 12mp or 50 mp. Which tells me DJI is using quad bayer technology on the 3S 1" sensor to get into the 50mp range. Also, top end resolution (video) is 4k. It's 5.4 on the Air 2S. Nit-piking, I know, but 5.4k allows for some really good zooming in post. Air 3S 4k/120fps is impressive, though. The increased ISO range on the Air 3S is also impressive as I like to fly in low light pretty often. Between the increased flight time (2x over the Air 2S) and the versatility of the dual camera system on the Air 3S, I am probably going to get it. Eventually. Maybe. Once again, a great, no-nonsense review Aldryn. Well done.
New Mavic release around the corner , think i'll hold out for that one
This is a nice upgrade coming from Air 2S. Do you have a video of Air 2S vs. Air 3S? I would love to see it. Thanks!
Great video! You really go all the way to show the true stuff. I just had a roof put on my house so in just a bit I wanna buy me a drone. I think the one I want is the Air 3S. I've never bought a drone before so I'll be a newbie but I'm happy to give it a try. I like riding my bicycle around and I'd like it to be able to follow me. Or just go for a walk and have it track me then. Do you think it can do that? Of course it has to be able to avoid obstacles on it's own. When I buy it I wanna buy it from you, and I want the DGI RC 2 + Flymore Combo. I want the controller with the built in screen. Let me know when it's available and I'll get it.
An Osmo Pocket 4 with that configuration would be 🔥🔥🔥🔥
I agree, but I want a 3 camera setup for the Pocket series. I feel DJI would be making a mistake not to do so at this point considering all phone cameras are going to 3-camera systems. Heck, the entry-level phones have a 2-camera set up. Time to stop playing..
I’m all set with my Air 3 for now, but this is a nice upgrade!
So where does the Mavic series come in? What will the Mavic bring to the table that blows the 3S away? Seems like every year the tech is getting better and there is no need for certain models.
I am still pretty happy with my trusted old M2P. I don't think any of those new drones (except the M3) is better than it. I don't really see any reason to upgrade now
Well done Aldryn. Love your side by side comparison of the different drones. The Air 3 S is a reall winner.
Hey, traveling tiv here! Love your videos. Question: Do you still need to obtain a license/certification for this weight class? I know you dont have to for 249g class. Thanks
Świetna robota Aldryn. Tak przypuszczałem , że będzie zastosowana 1 calowa matryca i to czyni z niego Predatora. Obecnie posiadam Air2S z którego jestem bardzo zadowolony i dwa miesiące temu zakupiłem Air3 oba pokochałem od pierwszego ujrzenia . Kto wie może niebawem Air3S dołączy do mojej floty !?! Pozdrawiam serdecznie z Polski.
This video reminded me I have a brand new Mavic 2 pro I purchased years ago in my closet.
@@Road-wx9ok 😂
It’s practically free 😂
Are You Serious ????😮😊
Too rich bro
@@jeremyboyce1537 Yes, I'm serious. I now remember I placed it in the closet because I had to travel for work to help on a contract job the next day. It was
supposed to last a few months, ended up lasting a few years.
Aldryn, thank you for your excellent review and testing of the new DJI Air 3S. Owning the Air 3 I’ll hold off on the Air 3S for now.
Hi,
Thank you for your much valued review.
Air 3, 3s question... If using Night mode, during civil twilight, would low light performance be improved, or de-noised?
Nice video. Wondering the new air 3s support goggle 3. Thanks
The Mavic 3 Pro with it's MUCH larger sensor takes WAY better photos. Even though it's less then half the resolution of the Air 3S,...it's individual pixels are way,..WAY,...WAAAY larger and much higher quality. I think that 50mp is way dense and small for a 1 inch-type chip. I think 24-26mp would be the sweet spot for this sensor size. The Air 2S with it's 20mp 1 inch-type chip looked great and it shot video in 5.4k. Air 2S video frame size is 5472×3078. That's 16.8 megapixels at 30fps. The Air 3S is only HALF that video resolution at 3840x2160 at 8.3mp. Yes, the Air 2S shoots video at DOUBLE the 4k resolution of the Air 3S.
Got my Air 3 on sale knowing that the 3S was gonna release soon, got relatively the same thing but with a good deal
I bought it today...comes in a few days..am excited!!
my Mavic 3 got stolen upon landing, thinking about getting the Air 3s as a replacement. Although I might wait a bit, still very depressed because of what happened.
Oh, that parallax at 70mm is so tantalizing! But, I'm going to stick with my mini 4 pro and wait for it to get the lidar and night sensors in a future version. Great video as always!
For me flying still the good old mini ONE this is going to be a big upgrade. 🤩
Can it DUAL RECORD on Both the Lenses? That would be a sick upgrade... This Drone is not much of an upgrade over the Original Air 3 TBH. Mostly some fine adjustments.
I just bought the air 3 last week during the 2 day sale..ill fly it with my integra goggles. I'm curious to see what goggles the s will eventually be compatible with.
Any idea if it would be worth upgrading from a 2S to a 3S. Which would have the better camera lens for still photography?
I want to know the same.
Another great new product review video from Aldryn!
Great Comparison Aldryn ! That was Very Well Explained , Take Care .😊
Thanks Jeremy
Excellent video, thank you, impressed with the Air3S!
Your channel gives us the most valuable and expert information that is important to people like me. It helps me make the best decisions in this expensive hobby. I see that this drone works with the RC 2 remote, but I have an RC Pro remote. Will this work with my RC Pro?
I'm sure I'm not alone in hoping to see an Air 2S / Air 3S comparison with video and photos. All the extra features are great on the Air 3S but I'm still not sure it's worth the upgrade. I'm one of those who waited for the 1" sensor in the 3S. It's probably worth the upgrade just for the 45 min flight time but I'd still like to see the image quality difference if any. It feels like we have reached a point to where any improvements are going to be incrementally small. Good review! Thanks!
You're not alone.
I feel the same about all of it.
I'm also a little dubious that something is up with this drone because the price point came in so low compared to the Air3.
I expected it to be 2k for the fly more combo. How did they come in at 1500?
I paid 1400 for my Air2S nearly 6 years ago.
This is only 100 more?
I like a good deal but this seems too good to be true.
And as a rule I don't trust anything that feels too good to be true. 🙏
@@jimig399 Watch Xavier Arthur's video he just published and it will all become clear. You're right. A lot of trade-offs happened. Obviously the A3s is a great drone but it's not as great as hoped. I'm thinking more about getting a Mavic 3 Classic for less cost but a better camera and other features. The 3 Pro would be even better. In the USA it's not an issue with the weight like it is in other countries.
@@jimig399 Another option is the Autel Evo 2 Pro 6K. Not as refined but very capable.
@@underthedrone2735
yes
I have considered this drone.
Their camera systems are possibly superior to DJI but this is subjective.
I don't know much else about them. Do you own one?
Tks for this review. By any chance how does it handle high winds?
The camera on the air 3s shows much less noise . It's a great upgrade for a a photographer
Very good review, do you know if the rc2 can be paired to mini 4 pro and air3s and be interchangeable?
Thanks for the detailed reviews!
Would it be possible to upload the photo comparisons between the mini, air 3, mavic and 3s?
I wanted to pixel peep at the quality, (planning to buy a drone for photogrammetry, and looking for max detail/quality)
And from the video, the images both look good, but zooming in might tell a different story ( which is important for photogrammetry)
I’ve found in the past some companies abuse the mega pixel marketing with high numbers but horrible image detail quality, or secretly do binning or fake upscale.
That nowadays all I can do is look at the actual pixels unfortunately.
Great video as usual.
Would have been nice if you had thrown the Air2S in there.
I've been waiting for this upgrade since I bought my Mini2
5 years.
I'll probably pull the trigger on this.
I'm overdue for a new toy. The price is right.
How did that get the price down so low with this drone? I expected it to retail closer to 2k for the fly more which seems the market would accept.
They left some money on the table here i think.
But why?
Makes me suspicious.
great video!! i think i will wait a little longer for the Air4
I would stick with my Air3... Air3s didn't offer enough of a feature to make me want to upgrade.
Good evening. First off, thank you for informative videos, I'm looking into getting my first drone. I want to use it for my RUclips videos and possibly trying to find work with drones when I retire. my question is should I buy a mini 4 pro or spend the extra for a air 3s. I'm planning on getting my 107 as well. Second question has to do with weight. besides registration, is there a downside to having a heavier drone. Will it restrict me from flying in certain scenarios. Thank you for your time.
As allways you are doing the review perfect!! Thanks! I'll buy the drone!
Are you going to a Mavic 4 Pro preview video? I'm leaning toward buying the 3S. Wondering should I wait for the Mavic 4 for a side-by-side comparison
Don't know anything about it
This is the drone I was waiting for ❤️
Just traded my Mavic 2 Pro for the Air 3 S, Two lenses, bigger resolution and better tech all round. Keeping my mini for now as well
I have the original Mavic Mini and was thinking on getting the Mini 4 Pro but I might just get the Air 3S. I do like how small the Minis are though and was hoping the Mini 5 would get released. I just don’t think the Mini 5 will have more than the Air 3S